Africa’s largest steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa has announced that it has decided to restart the second blast furnace at its Vanderbijlpark works in January 2021, due to an increase in demand for steel in South Africa. The resumption will add around 600,000 mt of additional annual flat steel production.
The company temporarily idled its blast furnace C at Vanderbijlpark as well as the Vereeniging electric arc furnace in July this year, until demand for steel recovered.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the South African economy on top of already flagging growth prior to the lockdown. Now more than ever we need to take decisive steps to protect the national economy and ensure that South Africa can be put on a sustainable path of growth and development,” Kobus Verster, CEO of ArcelorMittal South Africa, said.
The company had halted steel operations at its Saldanha works, which has a capacity of 1.2 million mt per year, in November last year for maintenance works.